Muzzled
by KungFuPandaFanatic
Summary: For the longest time, he's tried to forget about his past. Yet on a routine arrest, he finds out his past isn't that easy to move on.
For Nick Wilde, life hasn't always been easy. The main reason being people only saw him for what he wasn't, a fox who wanted to harm or steal from people. In fact, when he was a child, he was as sweet as can be, and like any child wanted to be part of groups to have fun, explore, and play till he would be called back home. It was from wanting that kind of bond though he experienced his darkest moment he ever had in his life then and even now. As when he felt like a group of kids accepted him into their scout group, he was happy as he could be, he would finally have friends and be part of an exclusive club. Little did he know that he would only be tricked and for a muzzle to be forced onto him when he was crying out for them to stop. A moment in his past that he always tried to forget, and as time went on it seemed to start to vanish in a way. Especially when he met Judy hopps, a rabbit officer who would take him on the biggest adventure of acceptance and realization he ever had. So much so he would become her friend as well as a ZPD officer that people respected. It was like he was finally getting the life he wanted, that was until one day when he and Judy was making a routine arrest on a zebra for stealing food from a market.

It turned out, this zebra was the one who helped force a muzzle on him all those years back in that dark room. Needless to say, Nick was shocked to see even one of them again but even more angry to the point he wanted to beat him to a pulp. Luckily, that didn't happen thanks to Judy and some other officers who didn't let him get to the zebra, even though he tried his best to. After what could've been a horrible fight was evaded, Nick was sent home to get his head cleared from the sudden burst of his past coming back, and that's where we start this story. For the fox sat alone on his bed in his apartment, wearing a brown shirt and black pants, his head looking down to the ground while his paws rested in his lap.

"Out of all the people we could've arrested, it had to be one of them. It just had to be didn't it." Nick said with a bit of anger in his voice, clenching his paws together from the mere thought of what he had helped do to him.

"To think Nick, your life was going so well and this has to happen. Why though? Why can't the past just stay behind me?" Nick asked himself in wander, closing his eyes and remembering the events that happened just five hours ago.

 **Five hours ago**

 _"Let go of me!" Shouted an enraged Nick, being held by Judy as well as a tiger and rhino officer while the zebra was being held back by chief Bogo._ __

 _"Please Nick! Calm down!" Judy pleaded to her friend, not believing how he was acting which garnered the attention of civilians and other officers in the police station._ __

 _"Come on fox! I bet I'll do the same I did back then and put a muzzle on that dangerous mouth of yours!" The zebra shouted with a sly grin, trying to push himself away from the chief who wrapped both his arms around the zebras chest._ __

 _"Get officer Wilde out of here right now!" Chief Bogo shouted to the three officers, who began to slowly push the fox backwards. Nick however still kept trying to move forward, yelling at the zebra with each inch._ __

 _"What'd you say?! Trying say that again you damn zebra!" Nick yelled furiously, only for more officers to come and start to pull him back further and further. As they were, chief Bogo began to do the same with the zebra who was still talking._ __

 _"We'll see about that fox! You know you can't escape what people see! People will always see you as nothing more then a pathetic and untrustworthy animal!" That statement was the last thing that was made between the two, as Bogo took the criminal to a jail cell while Nick was taken to an interrogation room where a small metal chair and metal laid. He was then placed inside by himself, where he started to walk back and forth._ __

 _"Damn it!" As he picked up the metal chair, throwing it agasint the wall which made a loud echo both when it fell and hit the wall. As the fox continued to pace back and forth in anger, his partner Judy watched from the outside, her face full of worry for her friend._ __

 _"Nick." She softly spoke, her ears dropping in sadness. It was then after about five minutes chief Bogo came and stood next to Judy, watching the fox._ __

 _"We're going to send him home officer Hopps, his head isn't clear. In a way, I can't blame him for acting the way he did but it has to be done." Bogo stated to Judy, looking down at her to which she reluctantly nodded her head. The two then breathed deeply before walking over to the door and opening it which made Nick turn his attention to them._ __

 _"Why did you stop me? He deserved to get what was coming to him!" Nick told Bogo, walking right up to him while giving him a glare._ __

 _"You know why we stopped you officer Wilde. You can't just beat someone, especially being an officer. That's why I as I told Hopps, we are sending you home for the day." When Nick heard this statement, a look of shock appeared on his face. Not understanding why he was hearing what he was, he then turned to Judy._ __

 _"You're ok with this carrots?" Nick asked her, making her look down._ __

 _"In a way, yes I am Nick. I know your angry and you have every right to be, you know I've been bullied in my life to so I understand. But going home and cooling down will be for the best." She told him honestly, looking back at him which made him feel sad to hear that from his partner. With a few back and forth glances between the two, Nick clenched his paws and moved past them._ __

 _"Whatever." He quietly said, leaving the two officers in the room before heading back to his home._ _  
_  
 **Back to present** **  
**  
"Uh, I can't believe I yelled at the chief. I can't believed I yelled at her." Nick said to himself, sighing before opening his eyes back up. The fox then turned his head over to his closest, and when he did, he got off his bed and began to make his way over to it. Once he arrived, he opened it which revealed his attire of colored shirts as well as pants. However such things were not of his interest, for he got down into his knees and reached his right paw into the far right corner of the closet.

"Hmph." Nick grunted, pulling his right paw back out of the closest which was now holding a small brown box. He then set the brown box down onto the floor slowly opening it up, revealing the a small muzzle. Not just any muzzle, but the same muzzle that was put on him when he was a kid. He then slowly reached into the box with his right paw, grabbing the muzzle and lifting it up to his face.

"All those years ago, I promised they wouldn't get to me. Yet, they did today. I'm..." He placed the muzzle on his mouth, closing his eyes.

"...So sorry mom, I'm so sorry I let them get to me again." He said sadly, a single tear running down from his left eye. When this happened, he heard knocking coming from his door, making him open his eyes and to look in the doors direction.

"Who is it!?" He asked, only for a familiar voice to be heard in response.

"It's Judy Nick, I came to check on you." He heard Judy say from the other side of the door. This made Nick feel a little warm inside, even after what happened at the station she still came to check on him. He then placed the muzzle on the ground.

"Come in Judy, I'm in my bedroom just to let you know." Nick told her, not moving from his spot. He then heard the door open and close in a matter of seconds. This was then followed by the sounds of footsteps coming towards his room till the two saw another.

"Hey Nick," Judy said, showing a small smile to the fox, something he replied with shortly.

"Hey Judy." He said quietly, the two then just stared at each other not knowing what to say next amidst the silence. When Judy saw Nick holding a small muzzle though, the silence was quick to disperse.

"Why do you have a muzzle Nick?" Judy asked curiously, pointing to it before walking over to him and sitting down next to him. Nick just looked back at the muzzle, letting his smile fade back into a frown.

"Well, it's actually not just any muzzle carrots. It's actually the same muzzle those kids put on me when I was child." Nick told her, handing the muzzle over to her. She looked at him surprised before taking the muzzle, examining the horrible device, not being able to imagine what Nick must of felt when it was put on him.

"Why do you keep this then Nick? Isn't it just a bad memory for you?" Judy asked, not understanding why someone would keep something that held nothing but pain for them.

"It's true, on certain days it brings the memories back. Even more so from today, yet it also reminds me that I'll never have to experience something like that again. Why? Because I've come to accept who I a and more. Also, I want to apologize for the way I acted today, I didn't mean to yell at you or Bogo. Can you forgive me?" Nick asked hopefully, looking at her. When hearing this, she set the muzzle down at her legs and placed both her paws on his right paw.

"Of course I do Nick, don't worry about it." Judy said happily, giving him a warm smile to let him know he didn't need to worry about. To her surprise, Nick bent down and gently gave her a kiss on the cheek, making her blush a soft red.

"W-what was that for?" She asked, Nick only chuckled.

"For being a great friend carrots, and a thank you for putting me on the right path. Or I should say, me and my mom thanks you." He then quickly wrapped her in a hug, placing his head on top of hers. Judy smiled bigger then before, slowly easing into the hug and even wrapping her arms around the foxs waist.

"It's no problem Nick, thank you for showing me I can be a real cop." The two stayed like that, hugging one another for not only comfort but also to let the other know that they would never be alone when it came to dealing with hardships.

 **Hope you guys liked it, sorry if the ending felt rushed.**


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